A value-driven career

Noodles – How the Lord knew!

A while ago there was an article in the newspaper which gave details about some instant-noodle companies manufacturing noodles out of Maida, a type of white flour which apparently forms a thin lining in the insides of your digestive tract and prevents proper absorption of food into the body. Just days later, rival noodle manufacturers came out with advertisements of making their noodles out of wheat flour only. ‘Durum wheat’ they called it. I still don’t know whether durum wheat has any special characteristics that distinguish it from Maida. Well, but it made no difference to my dad. He made us avoid everything to do with noodles and even Maida. No more Maggi, Smoodles etc. Even at restaurants, dad would ask us nicely to avoid eating Noodles. We couldn’t assert it because we (me and my sister) knew he’d probably sit for a long chat with us later telling us why not to eat them. Oh and even the famed Roomali Roti and other Parathas became a no-no! It was quite funny, for me at least, to keep on asking the waiter, ‘is a paratha made of wheat or Maida?’ Thus, there have been no noodles for quite a long time in our house.

You know who Mr. Lucifer works. The moment something is taken from you against your will, he makes you want it so much that you may even rebel against someone. Now it wasn’t that dad had imposed a martial law on us, or put a curfew on our diet. He would tell us to rather choose the healthier food when given a choice. So the rule was such – eat whatever you want outside, but under my roof you will eat only healthy stuff i.e. no noodles at home. And that it was. When I would go out with my friends he would let me eat noodles which my friends and I would share as a cost cutting measure. But Satan didn’t let go of the condemnation. And every time I’d think of noodles, I’d put it off by thinking something else. In a few words, I could eat noodles but I also couldn’t stand on the top of the hill and yell about it. Well neither can anyone, but you understand what I’m trying to get at here.

Was it ok to eat noodles? Or would i be sinning? 😦

College having closed for the summer and my friends having gone to their home towns and holidays and stuff, there was no one to go out with and have noodles with. And over the days I realized that I was dreaming about noodles all the more. The slippery, creamy, soft and luscious threads of pleasure seemed to become the centre of my lust of food. What should I do? Should I go and by Maggi or Top Ramen and just whip ’em up? Or should I ask mum to make it for me? She would agree but I didn’t gather the guts to. And also I was too lazy to ask or do any purchases. Where, How, who can cook it up for me?

One evening I went to my friend Rohan’s place to learn the guitar. Having gone late it was just approaching dinner time in his house. Being warm and hospitable as they are he and his wife, asked me to stay over for dinner. And guess what was on the menu? Yea! Noodles! Marianne had cooked a wonderful meal of noodles and a capsicum and coconut curry with prawns to top it off. On asking my parents, they okayed it and i enjoyed it! Was it coincidence? NO. The Lord saw that I really wanted noodles, hadn’t eaten it for a long time, and wouldn’t be disobeying if did eat them. So he sent these Angels to help me have my first noodle meal in like 2 months! My faith in God knowing me in and out has really received a boost through this. You may say aww he’s so naïve or whatever, but I have heard sermon on sermon being preached on this. The Lord knows the deepest and tiniest of our desires. And he desires to bless us! After all ‘He who did not spare his own Son, but gave him up for us all–how will he not also, along with him, graciously give us all things?’ Rom 8:32 (NIV). A big thank-you to Rohan & Marianne for having me over that day and being such angels. God bless them!